Articulator



- M. P. DARCISSAC June 8 1926. 1587;821

ARTICULATOR Filed Feb. 25, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 8 1926. 1,587,821

M. P. DARCISSAC ARTICULATOR Filed Feb. 25, 1924 2 sneaks-sheet 2 i ,"W/ 7TH @1 2" 19 Jane 91' W42: be] F 4! Zara 6 6801 'xeb Patented June 8, 1926.

UNE'I'E STATEfi raster rrice.

MARCEL PAUL DARCISSAU,

ARTICULATOR.

Application filed February 25, 1924, Serial No. 695,026, and in France-February 2?, i923.

My invention relates to apparatus ensuring the correct disposition of the masticating surfaces of complete or partial sets of teeth, bridges, or straightening pieces.

To this effect, the physiological movement of the teeth is first recorded in a plas tic substance placed in a special apparatus which comprises upper and lower plates disposed in pairs, one plate containing the plastic substance and the other the projections penetrating into the same. The apparatus is placed in the mouth of the patient, and the said plates are held in the proper position. The patient places his jaws in contact with the said apparatus and performs the usual grinding or hitting movements whether horizontal or vertical. Due to the said projections, which are thus caused to enter the plastic substance, the movements will be recorded in the latter, and the record will be permanent when the substance becomes hardened.

The plates thus serving. for the record are removed from the said apparatus and are mounted upon a special apparatus termed articulatoi, containing the moulded models of the upper and lower jaws; when the said models are manipulated by hand in order to imitate the movements of the jaws, the movements. made by the patient will be rep-roduced with great accuracy, due to the presence of the record plates. In this manner the movements will be again recorded in the articulator, which comprises for this purpose a plate provided on both sides with projections for recording the movements in a plastic substance contained in flat vessels or trays disposed above and below the said plate.

' From this manner, one obtains a recording articulator for the exact transposition of the individual physiological movement of the teeth, after making the direct record upon the person. l

The appended drawings which are given by way of example show one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. l is a perspective view of the upper part of the articulator connected with the moulded l plaster model. 4

Fig. 2 isa like view of the lower part, and

Fig. 3 shows a partial elevation.

Fig. t is a perspective .view of the complete articulator, the tray containing the plastic substance being. somewhat moved aside in order to show the arrangement of the recording device. i

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the articulator ready for operation.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the recording device of the articulator.

This device comprises two parts, an upper-part to which thetop moulded portion is secured, and a lower part holding the bottom portion.

The upper part, Fig. l,comprises tworectangular framesjl, 2', which are hinged together at the rear edge at '3; in the-said 'm-ounded point, the said plate is secured to the lower part of the articulator, and it can be given a sufficientplay in all directions, between the said frames while the operation is being performed. When the transcription has been effected and the plastic sub stance has become hardened, the same will move according to the recesses formed by the said projections in the paste, Fig. 6, and this will enable the exact reproduction of the movements of the jaws. At the front part of the upper frame is provided the anchoring piece 11 which is imbedded in the plaster model and serves to attach the device theretol Upon the rear end of each frame and on either side of the hinge, is disposed a guide 12 co-operating with a bolt 13provided with a button lt; when the said bolt isat the top, it will lock the hinge, and when at the bottom the hinge is released.

The low'erpor'tion, Figs. 2 and 3, comprises two vertical plates 15 forming parallel sides and connected by the top-'p1ate-9; the latter is provided on both faces with conical projections10, sin or eight in number. The said top plate or recordin-g plate is disposed, as above stated,be twee'n' the two frames of the upper part. Between the inner faces of the side plates 15 a'ncl the' message of the lower frame 2 'of the upper-partis allowed a [space of' a few millimeters which provides for the lateral play of-the lower part. The

sense .1 atten s thr w P of their front edge to the anchoring member 16 imbedded in the lower model; at the rear end of said plates are disposed the closed guides 17, 17, which in the position of contact of the teeth, coincide with the guides 12 of the upper part of the apparatus. When the said locking bolt is at the top, it looks the hinge of the two frames and at the same time releases the lower part of the apparatus; when the bolt is at the bottom, Fig. I, it releases the hinge of the two frames, thus permitting the removal of the model attached to the upper frame from the op posite model, but it secures the lower part of the upper portion of the apparatus to the lower frame; a screw 18 upon the rear face of each lower guide serves to complete the fastening. In this latter case, the apparatus operates as an occlusion device of the single type. The device for anchoring in the plas ter models may comprise a metal strip 19 which is movably secured to the apparatus by a dovetailed guide 20.

The operation is as follows:

The two plaster models are adapted to the articulator which is employed as an occlusion device, and the locking bolts are now in the bottom position; then after attachingb;;; adhesive wa ;-the base plates upon which the six front teeth have been mounted, as well as the recording plates which were used to register the physiological movement, and after taking care to give a good coating of vase'line to both sides of the recording.

plate of the lower portion of the articulator, I proceed as follows:

The bolts 13 are placed in the top position, so as to fasten the two frames of the upper portion (Fig. and the upper tray is released by opening the cover (Fig. 4) then after filling it with plastic substance (Crown extra-hard), it is put in place and the cover is closed. The models are then held one in each hand and they are made to slide upon one another (Fig. 5) reproducing the movements of grinding the teeth which have been recorded in the month; this is carried out until the plastic substance in the tray has become completely hardened. The same operation is performed with the lower tray. \Vhen the transcription is completed (Fig. 6) the bases of the models can be removed; these latter will maintain the given relation of the physiological movement. I then proceed with the mounting of the pieces of dental work, whose masticating surfaces can be correctly formed. A strong elastic handle or strap, not shown, may be used with the apparatus, so that the lower part of the ar ticulator can be brought automatically to the rear and to the top in the position of occlusion; one or two springs secured to the lower frame of the apparatus will produce the same result. During the preparation of the small models, the rear locking bolts will be lowered when it is desired to separate the two principal models, and the bolts will be again raised to the top when it becomes necessary to regulate the triturating surfaces.

By reason of the removable disposition of the models and of the transcribing trays, the said apparatus can be utilized for a number of sets of dental work at the same time, and should it be considered necessary, the models can be preserved together with the record of their physiological movement, due to the use of additional trays.

On the other hand, since the spacing between the upper edge of the side plates and the lower edge of the upper frame during the movement of the propulsion of the teeth (Fig. 5) will show theinclination of the condylian plane, I am enabled to make the proper choice of the teeth for each particular case; a ruler or a graduated pointer can be provided in order to enable the choice of a type of teeth whose friction faces correspond in the individual condylian plane, and which can be chosen out of three or four shapes.

Having thus described my apparatus, what I claim as new therein, and my own invention, is:

1. An articulator for the exact mounting of artificial teeth, comprising two elements adapted to receive the molded plaster models of the two jaws, two trays secured to one of the saidelements and adapted to contain a plastic substance, said trays being superposed with their operative faces towards each other, a plate secured to the other portion and disposed between the two trays, said plate having various projections upon both faces which may be pressed into the plastic substance contained in the said trays, and pivoting means serving to connect together the two hinged portions.

2. An articulator comprising two elements adapted to receive and to rigidly maintain the molded plaster models of the two jaws,

respectively, a frame adjustably mounted upon one of the said elements, a second frame hinged to the first-mentioned frame, two trays fitted respectively into the said frames, the concave sides of thesaid trays being inwardly disposed and thus facing each other, a support comprising two uprights and two cross-pieces, one of the said cross-pieces being adjustably secured to the second clement supporting the plaster model, while the other cross-piece is provided with conical projections upon both faces and is adapted for insertion between the two trays above mentioned, and means rigidly con.- necting one of the said frames with the said support.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name.

MAROEL PAUL DAR'CISSAC, 

